Remember Suleman Mirza and the unnamed Sardarji (Signature) who rocked Britain's Got Talent earlier this year? Guess they were able to come back with an act, that played on their strengths, and is making them a hot contender for the top prize. The act's pretty neat, but has significant potential of dying out, unless they come up with a new twist.
Needless to say, this is a big step up for desis on talent shows, from Fanjaya and Kashif "Hrithik" Memon.
The city needs an immediate overhaul on its rampant construction industry. With condo-complexes and high-rises coming out of the woodwork, on an already overcrowded landscape, fatality-causing accidents like this are just unforgivable. Quite like the probe on the oil industry is going to result in the uncovering of a lot of foul play and manipulation, a deep-pronged and invasive investigation into the overtly political and unregulated real estate and construction business is long overdue.
In the words of General Berterelli (‘Allo ‘Allo), - “What a mistaka to maka”.
Does anyone know a good desktop blogging software, out there?
Let's go outside
"Once" upon a time
El Aura
The Legend of Piya Bavari
Ever heard music that made you go, "Now that's what I'm talking about". Had the privilege of experiencing it live at a private listening party, entitled "The Legend of Piya Bavari", held at a desi baron's ridiculously lavish mansion in Watchung, NJ (ridiculous enough to have a private auditorium with stage/sound/lights).
The performers were Abhijit Pohankar and his father, Hindustani classical exponent, Pt. Ajay Pohankar. If you recall, the duo gave the world, one of my favorite all time tracks, "Piya Bavari", which was picked by Challe/Visan for Buddha Bar's Chillout in Paris Vol. VI. The performance also had a percussionist (drums/table/mridangam), acoustic guitars, saxophone, flute and Abhijit on the keyboards. The objective of the performance was to seamlessly blend Indian classical music with a new age world music feel, to make it more palatable to our generation.
To put it simply, it was brilliant. The concept and the conviction, and of course, the execution. After the performance, the father-son duo also gave a few of us a private unplugged session in the houses' piano room, with Abhijit on a grand Steinway. Songs like "Ka Karoon Sajni" and "Piya Bavari", along with several other thumris, were performed. Styles like qawwali and love ballads were interspersed delicately, while wholly maintaining the identity of the Indian classical foundation. In more simple words - they were not "remixing" classical music. This was not a sample alaap looping in the background, while rapsters slur on about 'getting it on tonight'. The music was truly enhancing and amplifying the principles of the song. And it is the sincerity of the attempt that makes it all the more beautiful.
The part that took my breath away - was the Begum Akhtar sequence. Its always interesting to hear a hardcore classical maestro singing a ghazal, because one would think that its almost blasphemous. But when you have such a mindblowing composition like "Ae Mohabbat Tere Anjaam Pe Rona Aaya" with the legendary lyrics of Shakeel Badayuni, even maestros can make an exception. With light piano instrumentation in the background, Pt. Ajay Pohankar began this track with a little bit of another Begum Akhtar track, "Mere Humnafas Mere Humnava, Mujhe Dost Banke Daghaa Na De", which was in the same raag. And the rest was pure mesmerizing magic.
Look out for their upcoming works. This is the stuff legends are made of.
Who remembers the show, Kidsongs? You know! The one with that opening montage of a bunch of hyperactive pre-teens taking over a decrepit radio station, and recording cheesy song videos. It used to be so revolutionary at that age, to be able to a have a music video show for your age group, before you grew into MTV/Channel [V].
In other news, how sultrily 1-900 was the voice of Doogie's girlfriend, Wanda Plenn?
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Manhattan Lounge?I realize that what I loved most about Juno, was how everyone was justified. The emotional, sensitive wannabe-mother who wanted a child more than anything. The jingle-composer who couldn't deal with graduating to a father, and letting go of his youth/rock dreams. The stepmom trying to fit in. The protective dad. The cheerleader best friend who dug older men. And of course, Juno, who threaded all of these elements together - living her life, one disorderly episode at a time, with an attitude of sarcastic maturity bordering on arrogance. But guess what? You can't blame her.
Highly recommend: Lars and the Real Girl.
In other news, moving beyond the opinion of the Cambridge-based newly eyeglassed lyric-maker, I am not statistically inclined. At least I don't have blogger-diarrhoea. Touche, Xe!
